We wish to invite about 25 young scholars from Universities and research institutes to participate in the National Seminar titled, Indian Economy: Historical Roots and Contemporary Development Experience to be held during 30-31 March 2007 at Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. The invitation will cover second AC train fare by the shortest route and local hospitality for three days. Applications with a one page CV and a one page write up on how the scholar will benefit from participation in the seminar should reach Professor D Narayana (narayana@cds.ac.in) latest by 10 February 2007.

The Theme Of the SeminarIndian Economy: Historical Roots and Contemporary Development Experience sponsored by the ICSSR under the theme, ‘ Movements, Social Transformation and the Making of Modern India

It is now a century and a half since major social, political and economic processes triggered off in India by the 1857 conflict with colonial British rule. This period has seen major transformations in institutions of land holding, educational system, use of English at all levels, judicial system, development of banking infrastructure and so on. It is increasingly recognized that the consistently high growth rates of India in the era of globalization have a lot to do with the foundations laid over a long period. The historical roots of our contemporary development experience have not been subjected to the serious scholarly consideration, which they deserve. The only attempt in this direction was the two volumes on “Economic History of India” edited by Dharma Kumar and published by the Cambridge University Press. The proposed national seminar is a modest attempt in that direction. The seminar papers shall be brought out as an edited volume.

The structure of this seminar will be broadly as follows: It will examine the long- term changes in India’s population and related characteristics. This will be followed by an analysis of the impact changes in population on land use, agricultural expansion and food supply. The expansion of infrastructure namely, railways, irrigation, other economic overheads like banking, development of trade and commerce, the expansion of education and health etc. also will be examined. More attention will be given to critically examine the evolution of legal and social institutions during the colonial period and highlight its implications for development during the Post-Independent period. The development of ideas on planning and economic policy during the colonial period and how it shaped the cause of economic policy making during the Post-Independent period will be also subjected to discussion in the seminar. The papers will attempt to highlight the inter-regional variations on the various subjects under consideration and to bring out the organic links between contemporary development experience and the historical processes during the last 150 years.

Theft!Theft!And Theft!No one is safe anywhere,Thieves are rampant everywhereLight is stolen,Dreams are stolen,Faith is stolen,Mud is stolen,Love is stolen,Life and death are stolenAlas! What can you expect from others,When God himself is a thief?In "Indra Jatra" by Dinesh Adhikary, Sajha Prakashan, 2051 B.S